A tragic fire in Lucknow that claimed 15 lives occurred in a commercial building that had a demolition order issued in 2016 due to unauthorised construction. The order was controversially revoked less than two months later, raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the decision. The building, originally allotted for residential use, was later found to have unauthorised commercial construction.
The Calcutta High Court has ordered a status quo on the demolition of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's constituency office in South 24 Parganas. The court's directive prevents further demolition until a new hearing or the end of July, following a petition by Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, a company Banerjee is CEO of. The district administration had initiated demolition citing alleged construction without an approved plan.
The Lucknow Development Authority has served a notice to the owner of the Aliganj building where a recent fire claimed 15 lives, citing alleged building bylaw violations and unauthorised commercial use. The LDA is also investigating its own officials for previously withdrawing a demolition order against the same property in 2016, while police have arrested four individuals in connection with the tragedy.
Civic authorities in Beed, Maharashtra, have ordered the demolition of an under-construction building allegedly linked to P V Kulkarni, the kingpin of the NEET paper leak case, due to violations of local construction regulations.
The Bombay High Court has expressed shock over the demolition of a printing press set up by Dr B R Ambedkar in Mumbai in 2016 and has criticised the city police for their inaction despite complaints.
A local BJP functionary, Vinod, was allegedly beaten to death in Dehradun's Bairagiwala village following an irrigation dispute, leaving three family members critically injured. Authorities have razed "illegal" structures belonging to the accused, and police have registered a case against 12 named suspects and others, deploying forces to maintain law and order.
On May 8, the apex court had directed that these buildings be removed within a month as they were constructed in a notified CRZ, which was part of the tidally-influenced water body in Kerala.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibits only the conversion of religious character but does not prevent the state from acquiring such properties for secular and public purposes. This observation came while dismissing a petition challenging the widening and beautification of the Dalmandi area in Varanasi for the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor, which involved the proposed demolition of six ancient mosques.
A post-mortem report for the 15 victims of the Lucknow Aliganj fire revealed that they died from suffocation due to smoke inhalation, not major burn injuries. Doctors found soot in nasal passages and swelling around faces, indicating heavy smoke exposure. The tragedy has led to a high-level probe, arrests, and a directive for fire safety inspections across Uttar Pradesh.
Gurugram Police demolished an eight-story building allegedly used as a paying guest accommodation by convicted drug smuggler Satpal alias Kalu. The demolition was a joint effort with the municipal corporation, targeting properties acquired through drug trafficking proceeds. Authorities also demolished property illegally occupied by another alleged drug peddler.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation demolished alleged illegal constructions at the residence and other properties of AIMIM corporator Matin Patel, who is accused of harbouring Nida Khan, wanted in connection with a TCS case.
t also stayed the order for 12 weeks to enable Adarsh Housing Society to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.
Violence erupted during an anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan area early Wednesday, with some people pelting stones at police personnel, leaving five of them injured.
Gurugram police demolished the illegal property of criminal Ravindra alias Sarkar, who was involved in more than a dozen serious crimes, in Taj Nagar village, Farrukhnagar.
Shuttered shops, overturned scooters, broken tiles and stones marked the narrow lanes near the Turkman Gate area in New Delhi on Wednesday, as the locality remained tense and under heavy security following violence during an anti-encroachment drive.
Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction during post-poll violence in West Bengal and sought judicial intervention to protect citizens.
'Government cannot pick and choose as to against whom they want to take action and against whom they do not want to take action.'
The Bombay High Court criticized the Navy for an intelligence lapse regarding a high-rise building near INS Shikra, questioning why it went unnoticed and raising concerns about selective opposition to construction projects.
West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended its Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, who had triggered a storm with the proposal to build 'Babri Masjid' in Murshidabad district.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties and said affected people need to be given some time to challenge demolition orders before an appropriate forum.
'Even as the Supreme Court's anti-punitive demolition judgment nears its first anniversary, no formal contempt proceedings have been initiated either by the Supreme Court or any high court against officers or demolition squads who have acted in violation of it.'
A summary of results from football leagues across Europe.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
A section of residents of Sanjauli and Hindu outfits had launched an agitation to press for the demolition of the mosque, claiming that it was unauthorised but no action was taken by the Corporation during the past 15 years.
The Supreme Court of India has directed Uttar Pradesh authorities to respond to contempt proceedings for allegedly razing a portion of a mosque in Kushinagar, defying a previous court order. The court has also ordered a halt to any further demolition of the structure. The demolition was carried out despite a November 2024 Supreme Court ruling that barred demolition without a prior show cause notice and a 15-day response period. The petitioners allege the demolition was carried out in violation of legal process and the Supreme Court's guidelines, as well as without providing an opportunity for a hearing.
'When an establishment operates despite demolition or closure orders, without proper fire exits, evacuation plans or safety audits, and yet is allowed to host large crowds, the state cannot hide behind the language of accident.' 'The authorities were aware of the risks and of the violations, but chose not to act decisively because doing so would have inconvenienced those with influence and financial stakes.' 'In such a scenario, the moral and legal responsibility for the resulting deaths moves from negligence towards culpability; calling it 'murder' is a way of underlining that these lives were sacrificed at the altar of greed and complicity, not fate.'
'Is this building a legally valid building? In this, there are no rules. It is built in violation of rules, against the law and built with corruption'
Following a recent earthquake in Bangladesh that caused casualties and damage, experts are warning the government to take immediate action to prepare for a potentially much larger and more devastating seismic event. They cite the country's vulnerability due to its location on major tectonic plates and the prevalence of unsafe buildings.
Security has been tightened in Beldanga, West Bengal, ahead of a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a proposed mosque, modelled on Ayodhya's Babri Masjid. The area has been placed under high security with additional forces deployed.
For homebuyers, the OC is not just an administrative formality but the very basis of lawful possession. Without it, the property is deemed unauthorised, exposing buyers to risks such as eviction, denial of utilities, or even demolition.
A few days back, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Khan, citing various lapses and lack of the building plan approval (for his house), sources said.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday ordered a halt to the demolition drive in violence-hit Nuh and asked if it was an "exercise of ethnic cleansing".
Even as authorities on Friday morning began demolishing the North Goa-based restaurant linked to the death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat for violation of norms, the action was stopped midway after its owner claimed that the Supreme Court gave a stay on it.
We will follow the SC order and there will be no further action in Jahangirpuri, the mayor said.
The Centre gave an assurance to the court that the building would not be demolished.
Equating 'bulldozer justice' with a lawless state of affairs where might is right, the Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down pan-India guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond.
'When your coach is backing you so strongly, it builds inner belief -- and that showed on the field.'
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered a stay on the demolition of the houses of two accused, including Fahim Khan, in the violence case, criticizing the administration for "high-handedness." The court questioned why the owners were not given a hearing before the demolition of alleged illegal portions. The action was taken without providing a hearing to the property owners, the bench noted. The court sought a response from the government and civic authorities and posted the matter for further hearing on April 15. If the court concludes that the demolition was illegal, the authorities would have to pay for the damage caused.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
